1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to caulk-bead removal tools for removing caulk and beading from grooves between spaced side-by-side concrete building panels which may be used either in a vertical wall structure or in a patio floor structure. The present invention also relates to a method of manufacturing the caulk-bead removal tools.
In the past, caulk-bead removal tools commonly used in industry in the U.S. have been generally utility knives. These knives are generally about six inches long, and most of the length of the knife is comprised of the handle and a relatively short blade is mounted on an end of the handle. When a workman is called upon to remove the caulk-bead joint between a pair of side-by-side floor positioned panels or in a pair of side-by-side upright wall panels such as are used in an upright wall, the workman will cause the knife to be run along each edge of the panel to sever the bond between the caulk-bead joint with the spaced opposed edges of the panels. This job is a rather laborious and time-consuming job and workmen are union workmen and are commonly paid $31 per hour plus benefits for this type of work. It will further be appreciated that many buildings and patios are now being designed by architects so as to employ caulk-bead joints between side-by-side panels as there is a large amount of repair that periodically must be done to maintain these joints in a fluid tight condition. If the caulk-bead joint should fail, water may seep into the building and/or into the basement, or where the side-by-side panels are positioned in a patio floor, water may seep through the joint beneath the panels and in the northern areas of the U.S.A. where freezing and thawing is common, the panels may be caused to be displaced from a pre-set position, causing the panels to be unevenly related relative to one another thereby posing a safety hazard to persons that may be walking on the patio after it has become damaged, as described.
For the purpose of evaluating the prior art, a search has also been made in the U.S. Patent Office and as a result of this search, the searcher uncovered the following U.S. patents:
______________________________________ PATENTEE ISSUE DATE U.S. PAT. No. ______________________________________ W. H. Hauver 4/9/07 849,681 S. F. Wright 3/5/12 1,019,399 C. Habart 11/9/21 1,520,711 N. E. Beck 7/12/32 1,955,218 A. C. Ferguson 9/18/50 2,662,287 William J. Eubank 6/5/79 4,156,966 K. G. Harrison 6/30/64 3,138,867 E. Alfred Olkkola 7/13/82 4,338,718 ______________________________________
From a review of the foregoing patents it is not believed that any of these patents are particularly pertinent to the inventions herein disclosed.